Mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like



MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY RWIiJDING THE MUSIC PLAYER PIANOS AND THE LIKE Filed March 6. 1922 Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. SCOTT, OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY REWINDING THE MUSIC ROLLS OF PLAYER PIAN OS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 6, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES LIVESEY Soon, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of the ostal district of Sunshine, in the shire of raybrook, a suburb of the city of Melbourne, in the county of Bourke, State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Mechanism for Automatically Rewinding the Music Rolls of Player Pianos and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to player pianos and like instruments and its object is to provide a simple, inexpensive and reliable mechanism for automatically rewinding the perforated music rolls or records of such apparatus after playing, thereby eliminating the usual slow and arduous task of rewinding b operation of the foot pedals. In addition t e invention has the distinct advantage of being readily applicable to existing as well as to new types of instruments.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification Figure 1 is a front view showing the invention applied to a player piano.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the governor.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view looking in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1. The parts are shown in their normal position with the moving limit stop on the slotted stop wheel engaging the left hand side of the eo-operating stationary stop or bracket.

.Figure 4 is a cross section on line A-A of Figure 1 looking in the same direction as Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of the sto wheel shown in Figures 1 and 3.

igure 6 is a detail view of a modification in which a weight is employed in lieu of a spring to automatically rewind the music roll.

Figure 7 is a front view of Figure 6.

The invention includes a suitable framework preferably of wood and comprising a horizontal member or board 2 from which depends a pair of opposite legs 3 adapted to rest upon the usual uprights 4 at each side of the tracker bar 6. he invention may be thus readil laced in position within the upper part 0; t e instrument and removed therefrom when desired.-

Serial No. 541,488.

Mounted in suitable brackets or bearings 5 and 7 on said frame is a shaft 8 on one end of which is a. sprocket wheel 9 driven by a sprocket chain 11 from the usual sprocket- ;Wheel 12 on the roll spindle 13 to which the '21 and the roll spindle 13 may be alternately rotated in opposite directions to respectively unwind and rewind the music roll or sheet by the operation of the foot pedals.

A fan blade or blades 22 are preferably att'ached to the shaft 8 to act as a governor for retarding the automatic rewinding of the roll as hereinafter described.

Connected by a train of reduction gears 23 with the shaft 8 is a shaft 24 which is mounted in the bearings or brackets 5 and 26 depending from the horizontal member 2 of the supporting frame. Connected to the shaft 24 is one end of a clock spring 27 the other end of which is secured to a suitable projection 28 from the frame so that as the shaft 8 is rotated through its sprocket wheel 9 and chain 11 by the operation of unwinding or playing the music roll, the spring shaft 24 is also rotated at a greatly reduced speed and the spring is wound up.

Carried by the spring shaft 24 is a stop wheel. This wheel preferably comprises two opposite discs 29 spaced from each other upon the spring shaft as in Figures 1 and 5 and provided with one or more opposite arcuate slotways 31. One of these slotways freely accommodates a moving limit stop in the form of a cross pin 32 which extends between the two discs and is adapted to engage a co-operating stationary member or stop which may consist of the bracket 26 on which the shaft 24 is mounted. By reason of this stop mechanism the spring 27 is prevented from becoming completely unwound or run down owing to the engagement of the stop 32 with the left hand side of the stop 26 as in Figure 3 when the parts are in normal position and the rewinding of the roll has been completed. Thus the spring has always a reserve of power to overcome fricion'al resistance and completely rewind rolls of all sizes.

By means of the arcuate slot the stop wheel is permitted to over-run its moving stop 32 after the latter strikes the right hand side of the co-operating stationary stop or bracket 26 in Figure 3 with the result that the spring 27 may be wound up and consequently unwound to a greater extent for comparatively long music rolls.

In a modifica ion as illustrated in Figures G and i the spring 27 may be dispensed with and in lieu thereof a weight 33 is at-- tached to a line or cord 34 passing over a pulley 36 which constitutes the stop wheel and takes the place of the slotted CllS'l'S above mentioned. A. series of circumterentially spaced adjusting holes 3'? may be formed through the side of said pulley to accommodate in the desired position, the aforesaid moving limit stop or pin 32 which thus outst-ands from the pulley and is adapted to engage the stationary stop or bracket- 26 to arrest the rotation of the stop wheel and consequently limit the winding up of the weight line so that the weight will not foul the pulley. It will be evident that with this arrangement also tne stop wheel or pulley 36 may be ciroumterentially slotted to permit to overrun the stop and thus lift the weight further for longer rolls whilst at the same time preventing the weight fouling the pulley.

In operation the unwinding or playing the music roll 10 causes the spring or the weight line to be slowly wound up by the slow rotation of the shaft 24 until the moving; stop on said wheel strikes the cal-operating stationary stop 26 and thus arrests the rotation 01" the wheel and the winding up of the spring or weight line. By the provision of the slots 31 in the stop wheel or pulley as before mentioned said wh el is permitted to over-run its limit stop or pin after the latter has engaged the co-opcrating stationary stop 26 on the winding up of the spring or weight line and unwinding of the music roll. The stop wheel is thus permitted to turn to a greater extent or beyond the limits circumscribed by the enment of the moving limit stop thereon l the co-operating stationary stop. The in and unwinding of the spring or the r ight line may be thus increased to complete the rewinding of comparatively long music rolls.

To rewind the roll 10 it is merely necessary to more the usual hand lever which operates the clutch 19 and disengages the 'ving gear 13 of the receiving spool 21 by which the music roll is unwound. This spool is thus released to run freely and the tension on the music roll is consequently reiaxed so that the unwinding ofythe spring or the weight line will automatically rotate the roll spindle 13 to rewind the music roll or note sheet onto its reel or spool which may be then removed in the usual manner.

The unwinding of the spring is limited as aforesaid by the stop mechanism so that the power of the spring is never fully expended. In the case of the weight controlled apparatus it will be evident that the stop mechanism is used primarily to limit the rising rather than the falling of the weight which naturally retains its full power.

It will be obvious that various alterations or modifications may be introduced into the particular construction described and illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a framework removably mounted in the upper part of the instriunent, a shaft carried by said framework, means for operatively connecting said shaft with the music roll spindle, a reduction gear carried by the framework and adapted to be driven by said shaft, a shaftdriven by the reduction gear. and a power storage device. likewise carried by said framework operativcly connected with the second-named shaft and adapted to accumulate energy from the unwinding of the music roll to automatically rewind the latter, the reduction gear, the power storage device and both shafts being removable with said framework bodily. as a unit, from the instrument.

2. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination, with a music roll spindle having a sprocket wheel thereon and uprights near each end of said spindle, of a removable framework comprising a horizontal member and depending legs adapted to rest upon said uprights, a reduction gear supported on said framework and driven from said sprocket wheel, a governor associated with the reduction gear, and a power storage device driven by said reduction gear and adapted to accumulate energy from the unwinding of the music roll to automatically rewind the latter.

3. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a reduction gear operatively connected with the music roll spindle, a power storage device actuated through the reduction gear and adapted to accumulate energy from the music roll unwindin r operation to automatically rewind said roll, and a stop mechanism associated with said power s o age device.

of a reduction gear operatively connected with themusic roll spindle, a power storage device driven through the reduction gear and adapted to accumulate energy from the A li music roll unwinding operation to automatically rewind said roll, and a stop mechanism associated with said power storage device and comprising a stop wheel dr ven through the reduction gear, a moving limit stop carried by said wheel and a statlonary limit stop adapted to be en aged by said moving limit stop to limit t e rotation of the stop wheel.

5. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the musicrolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a reduction gear operatively connected with the music roll spindle, a power storage device'operated through the reduction gear and adapted to accumulate energy from the music roll unwinding operation to automatically rewind said roll, and a stop mechanism associated with said power storage device and comprising a stop wheel driven through the reduction gear, a moving limit stop freely mounted in an arcuate slotway in said wheel and a stationary stop or member adapted to be engaged by said moving stop to limit the rotation of the stop wheel and to permit the latter to overrun the moving stop after its engagement with the stationary stop.

6. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a shaft driven from the music roll spindle, a reduction gear driven by said shaft. a shaft driven by said reduction gear, a power storage device actuated by the second-named shaft and adapted to accumulate energy from the music roll unwinding operation to automatically rewind said roll, and a stop mechanism associated with said power storage device, said stop mechanism including a stop wheel mounted on the second-named shaft and provided with an arcuate slotway, a moving limit stop freely mounted in said slotway and a stationary stop adapted to be engaged by said moving stop whereby the rotation of the stop wheel is limited and said wheel is permitted to overrun the moving stop after its engagement with the stationary stop.v

7 Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a framework adapted to rest within the upper part of the instrument, a shaft carried by said framework, a sprocket wheel carried by said shaft and driven from the music roll spindle, a reduction gear carried by said framework and driven by said shaft, a shaft driven by the reduction gear, a power storage device mounted on the second-named shaft and adapted to accumulate energy from the music roll unwinding operation to automatically rewind said roll, and a stop mechanism associated with the power storage device and comprising a pair of opposite discs mounted in spaced relationship upon the second-named shaft and having opposite arcuate slotways, a moving limit stop extending between said discs and mounted to slide freely in said slotways and a stationary limit stop disposed between said discs and adapted to be engaged by said moving stop.

8. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a reduction gear driven from the music roll spindle, a coiled spring adapted to be wound up by the reduction gear during the unwinding of the music roll and to automatically rewind said roll during the unwinding or expansion of the spring, and means operative automatically upon said spring to prevent complete unwinding there of when the music roll is rewound, for the purpose set forth.

9. Improved mechanism for automatically .rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a reduction gear driven from the music roll spindle, a coiled spring adapted to be wound up by the reduction gear on the unwinding of the music roll and to automatically rewind said roll on the unwinding or expansion of the spring, and a stop mechanism associated with said spring and comprising a member rotated by the spring during its expansion and means to limit such rotation of said member before the spring has been completely expanded whereby the unwinding of the spring is limited, for the purpose set forth.

10. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a reduction gear driven from the music roll spindle, a coiled spring adapted to be wound up by the reduction gear on the unwinding of the music roll and to automatically rewind said roll on the unwinding or expansion of the spring, and a stop mechanism associated with said spring and comprising a rotary member having an arcuate slot therein, a moving stop freely mounted in said slot and a stationary stop adapted to be engaged by said moving stop whereby the unwinding of the spring is limited, for the purpose specified.

11. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a reduction gear driven from the music roll spine lo, a coiled spring adapted to be wound u by the reduction gear on the unwinding of the music roll and to automatically rewind said roll on the unwinding or expansion of the spring, a stop wheel operatively connected with said spring, a moving stop carried by said stop wheel and adapted to move circumferentially thereof, and a stationary member adapted to engage said moving stop, for the purpose set forth.

12. Improved mechanism for automatically rcwinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combi iation of a reduction gear driven from the music roll spindle, a coiled spring adapted to be wound up by the reduction gear on the unwinding of the music roll and to automatically rewind said roll on the unwindin or expansion of the spring, a stop wheel operatively connected with said spring and having an arcuate slot, a moving stop mounted to slide in said slot, and a cooperating stationary st-op adapted to be engaged by said moving stop whereby the unwinding of the spring is limited on the rotation of the stop wheel in one direction and said wheel is permitted to over-run the moving stop thereon when the stop wheel is rotated in the opposite direction, for the purpose set forth.

13. Improved mechanism for automatically rewinding the music rolls of player pianos and the like, consisting in the combination of a shaft, a sprocket wheel carried by said shaft and operatively connected with the music roll spindle, a reduction gear driven by said shaft, a shaft driven by the reduction gear, a coiled spring connected at one end to the second-named shaft and adapted to be wound up through the reduction gear on the unwinding of the music roll and to automatically rewind the music roll on the unwinding or expansion of the spring, a stop wheel mounted on said secondnamed shaft, a moving stop carried by said stop wheel and adapted to slide circumferentially thereof, and a stationary stop adapted to be engaged alternatively on opposite sides by said moving stop as the stop wheel rotates in opposite directions, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

J. L. SCOTT.

Vitness VICTOR J. NELSON. 

